Want to install Windows 10 on an old netbook (or a cheap Windows tablet) with a 1024 x 600 pixel display? No problem.

While you can run Windows 8.1 on a device with a low-resolution display, you’ll get an error message if you try opening the Windows Store to install any Metro/Modern apps.

That was also true with the first technical preview of Windows 10. But it looks like one of the changes included in the second preview (build 9860) is support for 1024 x 600 pixel screens.

epc_01

After reading about the change this weekend, I decided to install the Windows 10 technical preview on my Asus Eee PC 1000H.

This is a netbook that was released in 2008. It has a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 single-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive. The little laptop has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and originally shipped with Windows XP.

Sure enough, when I installed the first Windows 10 preview and tried opening the Windows Store or other Modern apps such as the Weather and News apps I got an error message telling me I needed a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher to use these apps.

So I entered the PC Settings, checked for a new preview build, downloaded and installed it and after my computer rebooted I was able to open Windows Store apps.

Windows 10 doesn’t feel particularly fast on this aging netbook… but neither does any other operating system. After all, it does have a relatively slow processor, 1GB of DDR2 667MHz memory, and a 5400 RPM hard drive.

epc_06

Still, it’s nice to know Microsoft is bringing improved support for older hardware… and ensuring that newer devices like the Toshiba Encore Mini PC don’t need to use software to emulate higher-resolution displays just to run Windows apps.

Hopefully this doesn’t mean we’ll see a surge of new devices like the Encore Mini with low-resolution displays.

You can download and test Microsoft’s Windows 10 Technical Preview for free. The final version of the operating system is expected to launch in 2015.

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35 replies on “Windows 10 adds support for 1024 x 600 pixel displays”

  1. even on my dell laptop that has Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 2.33GHz, 2GB RAM when i was running windows 8.1 on it games downloaded from the app store would play but be quite laggy

    so running windows 10 on my Chinese no brand name netbook has the same specs is on in your post is going to run the games REALLY SLOW

  2. Windows 7 Ultimate is actually running not that bad on my Asus Eee PC 1005HA. Does anyone know whether Win 10 runs better/faster?

  3. This is GOOD news and I already installed latest build to old Aspire One (N270/2GB).
    It will be sitting next to my 4G/LTE router and share my usb printer and TB usb hard drive to home network – 24/7 – with very low power/heat.
    Good use for old hardware that had no use anymore 😉

  4. Good guy Microsoft, Big kudos to them or whoever thought that there are netbook users that suffer

  5. I had windows 8/8.1 running metro on my Lenovo ideapad s9 with 1024*600 thanks to a registry hack. Worked awesome.

  6. I’ve been buying netbooks at yard sales for $10-20. With Win 10 I’ll be able to sell them for a lot more.

  7. Win 10 TP is working very well on my eeePC 1000H but… I now have no RealTek HD audio. I have tried installing all of the drivers available from the Asus website but, so far, no luck… Anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences? Thanks in advance, MN

    1. Maybe you don’t need drivers if the system is programmed like Windows 8/8.1. When I installed W8.1 i didn’t need drivers. All worked. On W7, I had to install them.

  8. What’s with this resolution nonsense, shouldn’t Windows have a Fluid UI by now?

  9. One of the (many!) glaringly obvious problems with Win8 is that it didn’t support netbook resolutions. Microsoft is slowly recognizing and fixing Win8’s deficiencies. Win10 will suck less, even though it’s actually just “Windows 8.2”

    1. Well, nowadays I think yes. I saw one netbook (with smaller screen) that had W8.1 (fnac). I was like “Oh! Good Job Microsoft!” (SARCASM) “I actually CAN’T run W8.1”.

  10. Mint runs faster than any version of Windows on an Aspire One netbook=atom n270 1.6ghz,

    All hardware works as intended. Function keys, everything.

    Win 7 is considerably slower on a slightly newer version.

  11. My Toshiba Libretto W100 with dual 1068×600 touchscreens just became usable for the first time ever thanks to this!

  12. Was there ever any reason to not support that resolution other than the odd chance of forcing people to upgrade and to make a buck.
    Nothing technical that I can see.
    My read is that an OLD attempt to be draconian and greedy has failed and is now a fresh new way for MS to work along with builders and consumers.
    Ugh where’s my shovel. It gets deep.

    1. Multiple reasons… Like establishing a set standard for apps to be developed under to help ensure uniformity, and app efficiency…

      Mind, especially for RT, that they originally needed W8 to be usable on fairly low end hardware in order to make any inroads in the mobile market… and it takes time for developers to get good at developing for a new platform…

      But mobile hardware is more powerful now and part of the focus has changed to start covering different device ranges like the proposed Internet of Things range, among others…

      Specifically, W10 is being pushed as a Universal OS and as such it needs to be more flexible and adaptable than any previous version of Windows…

      But sure, good old greed was probably in there too… However, practicality and the need to spread market share means they can’t do anything too heavy handed and there actually some valid reasons for what they did and are doing now…

  13. So… subsidized Windows, subsidized Intel SoCs, and now this backtracking from a policy meant to prop up Dufus/Dufus Pro sales by requiring absurdly high resolution. Anything to undercut alternatives, eh? Can’t wait to see how things play out when these predatory practices are punished in a new and stronger regulatory environment. The good news is that all of this adds up to the “lights going out” entirely for Metro/WinRT. I’ll just sit tight awaiting Windows 11 I guess.

  14. Since Metro Apps take about twice as long to open as desktop applications on my Desktop PC its nice to know that i can use such slooow apps on my old Eee PC 1000HE now.

    1. It shouldn’t take more than 2 seconds to open a Metro app… you probably have a driver conflict or haven’t been keeping up with the updates…

      One possible cause is if the system is old and has displaylink drivers installed… So check for that and uninstall it if you find it and disable the Software Rendering in IE as well before rebooting…

      Even if you don’t use displaylink the drivers could have been installed with a peripheral device like USB 3.0 external drive, etc…

    2. They’re slower to OPEN. After that, the Metro UI (Minimalist) offers you the app, that runs faster than Applications for Conventional Windows (.exe). Anyway, the good times were on Windows 7.

  15. At the same time, I hope MS supports high end
    monitors at 3840 x 2160 or higher. I’d heard
    previously that we were supposed to get these
    types of displays by Christmas for ~$500. I’d
    like mine in a 26″-27″ variety please (don’t want
    a monster on my desk).

  16. For fucks sake Microsoft, stop giving 2-bit manufacturers excuses to make garbage products.

    1. Relax, this just means they’re starting to cover the lower end devices like Internet of Things, digital signage, kiosks, POS, etc. that don’t need much to run without needing to branch off different versions of the OS like they normally had to do… Not to mention it could help finally get bank ATMs off XP… Since part of the reason is they don’t want to update the hardware on those things…

      While better memory management should also help higher end devices as well to run more efficiently… and part of the support may be auto switching between device form factors…

      Remember the OQO UMPC, for example? The new universal OS means you could have a pocket device just plug into a dock to change its form factor and that can range from a small handheld device, with lower resolution screen, up to full desktop and it’s best if the OS is flexible enough to handle the full range…

    2. Not everyone can buy mid range spec stuff, I have an Asus Eee PC r105 which is a low end netbook, I worked hard for the money to buy it, it isn’t even a brand new one, I got it second hand through a nice dealer.

  17. It also might be aimed at the ultra low costs systems that are showing up. The $65 Emdoor has a 1024×600 screen.

  18. I’ll keep this in mind for my old netbook–which has an SSD. I would really like to be able to run the Metro Mail app on it.

  19. Yes!!!!! I’ve been wanting this ever since Windows 8 came out. +1 to you, Microsoft.

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